Vantage Data Centers has started building one of the largest data center campuses in the Midwest, a $15 billion development on 672 acres in Port Washington, Wisconsin, about 27 miles north of Milwaukee. Named Lighthouse after the town’s landmark, the campus is part of the OpenAI and Oracle Stargate program, the $500 billion push to stand up AI compute nationwide.
Project Scope
The multi-phase build takes in four buildings totaling roughly 2.5 million square feet, designed to deliver up to 902 megawatts of capacity. Vantage has partnered with the Wisconsin Building Trades Council and plans to lean on local union labor, with a peak workforce north of 4,000 construction workers over about three years. The privately funded campus is expected to open in 2028 and support roughly 1,000 permanent jobs once running.
Why It Matters
Wisconsin has become an unlikely front in the AI infrastructure race, and a 902-megawatt campus is the kind of load that forces hard conversations about power and water. Vantage has leaned into a good-neighbor message and a union labor commitment, both aimed at the community friction that has stalled data centers elsewhere. Whether Lighthouse holds to its 2028 date will say a lot about how fast the grid can actually feed projects this size.
Project Team & Details
| Developer | Vantage Data Centers |
|---|
| Owner / Client | Vantage Data Centers |
|---|
| Status | Under Construction |
|---|
| Delivery Method | Design-Build |
|---|
| Funding Source | Private |
|---|
